Glee Live: Behind The Scenes
by an-alternate-world
Summary: A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in THAT skit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Glee Live: Behind The Scenes  
><strong>Author:<strong> an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>CharactersPairings:** Darren/Chris  
><strong>Word count:<strong> (This part): 1,507; (Total) 9,731  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in the Klit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** Mild until the last part...  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _Glee, FOX_, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the _Glee _universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this...

* * *

><p>He was reading quietly, curled up on the sofa. It was the same thing as always – Harry Potter. His copy of <em>Deathly Hallows <em>was terribly battered, but it didn't matter. This book had helped his name get out there and he owed a lot to it. And he wanted to be reminded, yet again, of what may be seen in the movie. Was it really only a month until the massive part of his life was over?

Chris gave a little huff from his bed, tapping out something on his laptop. He scratched behind his ear and bit his bottom lip, and Darren watched him with mild amusement. The two had decided to stay behind while everyone else had gone out to party, celebrating the break between the show in Cleveland and East Rutherford. For Darren, it was because he preferred a quiet night in after the hectic tour schedule. For Chris, he was trying to get more work done on his books after it had broken online last week. His Twitter had ended up crashing with all the tweets. It was still mindboggling to him that people actually _noticed _him.

Darren returned to his beloved book, thumbing through the pages quietly. It was past midnight and they still had two shows here in East Rutherford, then he had his own concert thing at Irving Plaza in-between, and followed by the final US show in Uniondale. And then a blissful four day break as they flew to the UK and started all over again, albeit not quite as long. Like any show or tour where the same group of people are together for long periods of time, people had gotten sick and passed it around and after nearly a month of solid shows, Darren was starting to feel the ache in his bones. He knew there was a Twitter campaign to get him to sleep but he hated sleeping. It meant he was missing out on something and he much preferred to be sleep deprived because he was way more energetic in some weird twisted way. Everything was just so much more _fun _when he didn't sleep.

"_Shit_," Chris muttered, and Darren dropped his book in surprise. It was rare for Chris to curse, unlike himself, and he glanced up at the younger boy who looked pale and drawn behind his computer screen.

"Problem?" he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Part of him desperately wanted to sleep but he knew when Mark and Cory returned they'd be loud, possibly drunk, and just wake him up anyway. No one on Twitter seemed to realise there were good reasons for him to simply be _unable _to sleep.

"Just lost a chunk of work. Frustrated," Chris said, running a hand through his hair.

Darren neatened his book which was in desperate need of replacing and sat up on the sofa. "Can't you like, check the temp files or something?"

"I don't know," Chris replied. He clicked and tapped and Darren wandered over to sit beside him on the bed. Chris automatically shifted over allowing Darren the space. This was how they were. They just _worked_. They liked their peace and quiet and staying in and it was just…nice. It wasn't like Blaine who was trying to charm the pants off an oblivious Kurt, while Kurt was hopelessly infatuated with an oblivious Blaine. They were just comfortable and relaxed. Sure, Darren was close with Dianna and Chord and Mark, and Chris had Amber and Ashley and Lea, but there was no pressure or pretence here.

"Any luck?"

"I don't think so. Dammit, I actually _liked _that stuff!" Chris whined, rolling over and glaring at the ceiling.

Darren chuckled. He remembered how many times he'd composed for the Harry Potter musicals and it had vanished, or he'd decided that a note didn't work, or he needed to change the words because he wasn't happy with it anymore. It drove everyone else crazy but it had become a viral hit and StarKid couldn't fault him for his desire for perfection anymore. Of course, the perfection only extended to writing the music. He still had a terrible mental block for remembering the words to his own songs half the time… speaking of which, he should revise some of his own material before he performed at Irving Plaza, just in case.

"Don't laugh at me!" Chris threw a pillow which smacked Darren out of his thoughts. He looked down at the pillow in his lap and moved it so he could lay down and take a look at Chris' laptop. He was careful not to open up any of his work, Darren knew how protective a writer was of their material, but had no better luck than Chris.

He hadn't really noticed that Chris had turned over to watch what he was doing. He hadn't really noticed how close Chris was until he turned and…_oh._ Somewhere he remembered Blaine singing 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' and a line about delicious-looking lips, and Chris being so close…

"Yeah, sorry, no luck," he breathed.

Chris sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll just work on it before we have the shows or while on the plane to England or something. I don't know." He tugged at his hair, a clear sign he was frustrated and Darren's fingers itched to stop him. Chris would end up bald before he was twenty-five and that just wouldn't do.

Slumping his head on the pillow he had propped beneath him, trying not to think about the boy that was _so damn close_, he closed his eyes and listened dimly as Chris returned to typing something. He thought about the high he was getting from performing and now they were in New York. He remembered Chris' tweet about trying to crack him on stage but _please_, he founded _StarKid_, he could keep a straight face even when Chris tried to throw the most absurd things at him. He was still buzzing about playing at Irving Plaza, and he knew he had a couple shows lined up in London after _Glee _was done. And of course, Harry Potter was coming out…

Time passed as Darren drifted between being asleep and awake, Chris' computer work sounding terribly dim. When the computer clock showed 1.36am, Chris thought it was probably time to sleep. He wasn't sure when the rest of the cast were getting back but he imagined it would be soon and he kind of had a sleeping Darren in his bed, which he knew Mark would tease the crap out of him for.

"Darren…" he whispered, feeling terrible for waking the boy. He knew it was hard for him to sleep and he almost debated changing beds for the night just so Darren could stay where he was. But then he thought about the ridiculing _that _would bring and decided against it. "Darren…" he murmured slightly louder, pressing a hand to Darren's shoulder.

With a jerk, Darren's eyes flew open and he gasped for air. He saw Chris' face creased with confusion and the outstretched arm that was on his shoulder and gulped in a lungful or two. He _hated _being woken up suddenly.

"Sorry Dare, it's after 1.30 and the others should be back soon and um, I kinda wanted my bed back," Chris mumbled, his cheeks flushing. It was such a _Kurt _thing to do.

"Of course, sorry," Darren said, shifting from the bed and moving over to his, trying to find his sweatpants and shirt he slept in. He could hear Chris closing his laptop and finding his own clothes and they moved around each other quietly again.

They each changed and brushed their teeth, awkwardly dancing around each other as one left and the other entered. It was just before two when Chris finished in the bathroom and their room door opened up, Cory and Mark holding onto each other and shaking with silent laughter.

Darren raised an eyebrow. "Good night?"

"The _best _man," Cory snorted, stumbling over to his bed. Mark all-but collapsed into his and was snoring within a minute. Darren glowered faintly at him, hating how easily he could fall asleep.

Cory waved, his pupils blown and showing how drunk he was, before slumping down into the bed and falling asleep rather promptly. He was always surrounded by people who fell asleep so quick. It wasn't fair.

Chris wavered in the doorway of the bathroom, seeing how tired Darren looked. He knew Darren didn't sleep well, neither did he, but Darren just looked so…drawn somehow. Darren crawled under the covers of his bed and Chris finally moved, touching Darren's hair softly and whispering a goodnight. Darren turned, just enough to see Chris and smiled, whispering his own goodnight and then Chris climbed into his own bed.

The quiet, steady snores of Mark and Cory lulled Chris to sleep pretty quickly, but Darren lay awake, thinking, pondering, composing…


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Glee Live: Behind The Scenes  
><strong>Author:<strong> an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>CharactersPairings:** Darren/Chris  
><strong>Word count:<strong> (This part): 2,929; (Total) 9,731  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in the Klit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** Mild until the last part...  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _Glee, FOX_, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the _Glee _universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this...

* * *

><p>Irving Plaza was such a freaking <em>blast<em>! Naya, Theo and a few of the boys had been fantastic to accompany him and he was so high on adrenaline and happiness and…glee. Yeah, that word just didn't have the same meaning anymore.

He signed as many autographs as he could but he needed to get back to his hotel room to prepare for tonight. He got the car back with Naya who was relatively quiet for a change.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just, y'know, bit burnt out after a month on the road," Naya said, smiling at him. "How about you?"

"Pretty much the same. I mean, I'm _so _high right now but I also feel I could sleep for a month."

Naya raised an eyebrow. "You? Sleep? Surely you jest!" He shoved her lightly and she laughed. "You know I love you, silly boy."

"Yeah yeah," he muttered, smiling at her to indicate he had gotten the joke.

It wasn't long and they were back at the hotel, slipping quickly and quietly inside and riding to their rooms. He thanked her again and she gave him another smile before they each separated.

"Hey! How'd it go?" Chris exclaimed, abandoning his work and looking over at Darren.

"_Amazing_. No, like, _mind-blowing_. I can't even…it was just…_wow_," he babbled, flailing for words.

Chris gave him a smile (with teeth!) and congratulated him. "The boys are out exploring somewhere. You can nap for an hour if you want."

Darren put down his guitar case and rubbed the back of his neck, slick with sweat. He grimaced. He hated how much he sweated during shows but he was nervous and the lights were hot and he put his heart and soul into the songs and it just…bled out of him.

"I think I'll shower. Freshen up before tonight. Otherwise the gel will just slide out of my sweaty hair," he joked. Chris laughed and nodded, returning to his laptop. "Hey, how's the rewriting of the lost work going?"

Chris frowned. "Okay I guess. I don't feel as happy with it as the last time but I guess that's just because you pour down your words and then when you lose them it's like…all that emotion you had the first time, it's gone, you know? It's hard to remember what I was thinking or feeling and capture that again."

Darren pulled out a fresh change of clothes and nodded. "It's the same with songs. Like, you have this tune in your head and it bounces around and then you put some words to it but it just doesn't quite fit sometimes. And other times it just flows from you. But if you don't ride the wave, then you lose it."

"Exactly!" Chris exclaimed. "I can stay up all night thinking until I give up and start writing back in L.A., but I don't have that luxury when I'm sharing a bedroom. I don't want to wake anyone up."

Darren snorted. "There could be a war going on in the same room and Mark and Cory would sleep through it."

"Yeah but…you're a light sleeper," Chris said quieter, biting his bottom lip.

"Oh, I…yeah, but…if you're hit with a creative urge…I know that you just have to get it out sometimes," Darren replied awkwardly, tugging at a curl. "Anyway, I need to go and shower."

He picked up his things and entered the bathroom, closing the door with a soft click. Both boys released simultaneous breaths, before Darren began to take off his sweaty clothes and Chris returned to working on a children's novel, trying _very _hard to not imagine a naked Darren Criss in the shower…

* * *

><p>They were finally done with the US leg of their tour and holy crap it felt good. Four days off sounded utterly amazing, even if they had to fly for a part of that. Sleeping on the plane was always an option. It depended on the landing time. Not a good idea to throw off his body clock and not sleep properly and then end up dead at concert time. Especially when Chris was still desperately trying to get him to laugh on stage.<p>

Darren scratched his head and watched Chris dancing around Lea, careful to not spill his Diet Coke on her. He still wasn't quite sure _why _Chris was trying to get him to crack. And he was also a little afraid of what might happen once they hit the UK. He took another sip of his orange juice, he was _not _drinking before their flight out tomorrow, and debated how rude it might be to slip away early and get some extra sleep and whether or not it was a good idea with time zones. His thoughts shifted constantly and he barely noticed when Dianna bumped his shoulder gently. It wasn't until she touched his forearm that he reacted, breaking from his trance and smiling at her.

"What had you so deep in thought?" she questioned, drinking her wine.

"Nothing, everything. The desire to sleep versus being rude by leaving early versus sleeping on a plane, and wanting to compose, and not believing that we're going to the UK tomorrow and how fast my life has changed in such a short space of time." He still had trouble getting his head around it all. One month, he's busking outside cafés in L.A. and the next, seemingly everyone around the world knows who he is.

Dianna nodded. "We all had that problem, at first. Now we don't really notice it. I mean, you had a following before _Glee_, it's just gotten bigger. Some of us weren't even known," she motioned towards Harry and Heather. "It sounds like some cliché Chris would spout, 'it gets better', but it does. Just give it some time and it'll settle down."

Darren knew that it would get easier, but it was still just such a sudden shift that he struggled with it from time to time.

"As to sleeping, don't worry about us. We know how hard it is to get quality sleep while touring, last year at Radio City was awful because we were so pumped after each show. If you're tired, just go."

He ran a hand through his curls, still a bit stiff from the gel even though he tried every night to wash the damn stuff out.

"And what are the lovely Dianna and goober Darren discussing?" Chris twirled around them like Kurt would, leaving Dianna and Darren laughing. He ordered another Diet Coke and sucked down half of it before taking another breath. Honestly, the amount of that stuff the boy drank would leave his teeth rotting.

"Just considering heading back to get some sleep," Darren replied, finishing off the last of his juice.

Chris glanced at Dianna and then at his sea monkey watch. "Yeah, it's nearing midnight. I should probably head back to. The baby needs sleep, right Di?"

She laughed again. "You know we just try and take care of you while we're away," she exclaimed, reaching out to pinch his cheek which he batted a hand at.

"I should be young enough to keep up with you!" he complained.

Dianna glanced between Mark, Cory and Chord, who had clearly been enjoying the alcohol. "I don't think you want to keep up with _them_."

Darren and Chris turned and chuckled at the drunken wobbling of the three boys. Turning back, Chris kissed Dianna on the cheek. "See you in the morning. Come on Dare, let's go get some sleep."

The two waved at the cast, but most were still dancing and rather drunk so Dianna bid them a good night and they caught a cab back to the hotel. It was just like Darren and Chris, quiet but comfortable, words not needed to fill the silence. Once again, they moved around each other getting ready to sleep and said soft goodnights before sliding into their beds.

Although tired, Darren remained awake, thinking of what he wanted to do while in England and Ireland and ways he could try to crack Chris. He knew what the fans wanted, but that was only going to be in the most _dire _of situations, on the last night if needed. He thought it would probably be Chris to kiss him, but if he mixed it up, maybe he could get his own back…

He wasn't sure how long he laid there, staring at the ceiling and lost in his thoughts. He heard Chris shift in his bed a few times and make soft noises but that was normal, almost comforting. Without warning, he saw Chris sit up and start to get out of the bed. Slowly, he shuffled over to Darren's side of the room and touched his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Chris?" Darren whispered, confused. Chris remained silent, motionless, standing by Darren's bedside. Reaching over to flick on the bedside light, Darren caught sight of the glazed look in Chris' eyes and realised he was sleep-walking. Cory and Mark had told him about the couple of times they'd found him wandering in their bedroom during last year's tour, and had to make sure the bedroom door and windows were secured before they slept just in case he tried to wander off. This year, they had tried to minimise the amount of stress Chris felt regarding the Glee shows because of the increased exposure surrounding his movie and books and the TV pilot and whatever else he was involved in.

Darren wasn't quite sure what to do though. Was he meant to wake Chris? Or should he go along with it? The blank look on Chris' face was weird and completely out of place on the boy who liked to smile and throw witty, sarcastic lines at anyone. Chris reached out to touch his shoulder again and Darren captured it with his hand, noticing how cold Chris' felt in his own warm one. Silently, Chris sank down onto a strip of the mattress and Darren continued to hold his hand, massaging it gently and trying to instil some warmth. And he desperately wished he knew what to do.

Chris' forehead creased and he whimpered softly, the hand not being held by Darren twitching at his side. He bit down on his lip and Darren watched, wondering what the younger boy was experiencing. Darren had dreams, he had many dreams and nightmares, but he had never been one for sleep-walking. It was kind of fascinating.

With a soft cry, Chris jerked his hand from Darren's, fisting into his hair and pulling hard, gasping quietly for air. Alarmed, Darren sat up and grabbed Chris' shoulder, deciding that whatever you were meant to do during a sleep-walking fit was useless when the sleep-walker started being unable to breath. Chris continued breathing rapidly, not quite hyperventilating but not far off it. Placing a hand on Chris' other shoulder, Darren shook the boy and called his name several times. It seemed to have no effect and Darren started to panic himself. What if Chris passed out? Could you pass out from hyperventilating when you were actually sleep-walking? He knew he was pretty alone in this situation. The rest of the cast were too drunk and the club had been too loud for them to hear their phones.

Chris' face was pale, so pale, and nervously Darren placed a hand on his cheek, feeling how cold and clammy it was. He ran a hand through Chris' hair, trying to soothe the boy who was clearly having some sort of nightmare in his arms. When he made another distressed sound, Darren abandoned his efforts at waking Chris and simply pulled him against his chest. He wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort Chris or himself. He felt so lost, so alone, so confused. He continued gently trying to shake Chris and he realised that Chris was slowly breathing better. He was still cold and pale but at least his breathing had slowed. Darren rested his head on top of Chris', hoping that somehow the comfort was getting through.

With a start that nearly sent them both flying, Chris stood and glanced around wildly. His eyes were no longer glazed and for that at least, Darren was grateful.

"I…what…you…_Darren_?" Chris rambled, clearly confused.

"Hey Chris."

"What the…why am I…you…_what_?"

"You were sleep-walking. Ended up over here. And you started hyperventilating and I…I didn't know what to do. I tried waking you up but it didn't work so then I just hugged you," he shifted uncomfortably, tugging at his curls again.

Chris sank onto the mattress, combing his hands through his hair fitfully. "But I haven't…not since last year…"

Darren shrugged. "You're under an awful lot of stress right now. It's okay. I just got worried."

Chris smiled weakly, the colour slowly returning to his face.

"Were you…dreaming?" Darren said.

"Yeah, I…it was weird. Like, I was Kurt and Max was…Karofsky was…" he shuddered, falling silent.

Wrapping an arm around Chris' shoulders, Darren pulled Chris closer to him. The younger boy rested his head on Darren's shoulder and Darren gently rubbed his back. "I've never had a character dream before," he mused quietly.

Chris snorted. "This wasn't even something like we've filmed. It was like something out of a fangirl's mind. Only she was torturing Kurt, torturing _me_ and I…I couldn't escape." His voice cracked and Darren held him tighter. He didn't have any words and he felt Chris shaking against him, reliving the horror of the nightmare. Slowly Chris' trembling stopped and he wiped his eyes, sniffing. "Sorry, I didn't –"

"Hush," Darren said, tilting Chris' face so he could wipe the rest of his tears with the back of his sleeve. "It's okay. It's what friends do, right?" he smiled slightly and Chris attempted a smile back. And once again, Darren was hit with how close they were, how pink Chris' lips looked, how his eyes looked so much more green in the dim light and being puffy from crying.

Chris looked up at Darren, and his breathing hitched. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for his co-star but it was just because they were playing on-screen boyfriends, because they were around each other so much…it was natural. It was like how Jenna and Kevin had gone on vacation together last year, or how Dianna and Mark hung out all the time, or Cory and Lea, or Lea and Jon. Being around someone so much, who was so attractive that sometimes it _hurt_…developing feelings was totally normal.

Darren glanced between Chris' eyes and his mouth. He was so tempted. He wondered what _Chris _tasted like, as opposed to Kurt. Kurt was the slight bitter tang of coffee, of the sugary things Chris ate when he was off-screen, of the mints that they would suck down before a kissing scene because it was awkward to kiss someone and have bad breath. He bit at his lip, internally debating, when Chris made the decision for him and pressed his lips softly to Darren's.

It was incredibly tentative and shy. Not like Blaine and Kurt's. This was innocent, tender, chaste, nervous. And it was over before it began. Chris was pulling away, his eyes averted, while Darren tried to centre his thoughts.

"Sorry, I…" Chris was lost for words, and Darren had no idea what to say, just kept staring at his friend. When Chris glanced back up at him, Darren couldn't help himself and kissed Chris again, applying slightly more pressure and darting his tongue out to touch Chris' bottom lip. Chris whimpered so softly Darren thought he imagined it, but it was enough for him to slip his tongue inside Chris' and gently explore. Chris tasted of Diet Coke, off his mint toothpaste, and of things Darren couldn't even place. He felt a warm hand cradle his cheek and it was like the Blaine and Kurt kiss again, where Darren had taken charge because Chris was so nervous on-set. But finally, finally they had to pull away, because Darren needed to breathe and even just a kiss was doing things to his heart that left him thinking it might just jump out of his throat.

Chris' eyes were dazed as he stared at Darren, his lips swollen and dark. "What…" he swallowed, breathed, tried again. "What was that, Dare?"

Darren shook his head, moving away and tugging at his curls. "I don't know. I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened."

Chris tried to keep his face neutral, tried not to let the hurt show. It was one of his first _actual _kisses, not the staged things he had to do as Kurt on Glee with Max and Darren. This…no, he was reading too much into it. Nodding to himself, he stood on shaky legs and crossed back to his bed, crawling beneath the covers.

Neither boy got much sleep that night, hearing Mark and Cory try and enter the room quietly but failing when Mark stubbed his toe and swore, leaving Cory laughing softly beneath his breath. Chris drifted off at some point, his brain just too tired but Darren remained awake, alert, wondering what the hell he had just done and what he was meant to do now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Glee Live: Behind The Scenes  
><strong>Author:<strong> an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>CharactersPairings:** Darren/Chris  
><strong>Word count:<strong> (This part): 1,842; (Total) 9,731  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in the Klit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** Mild until the last part...  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _Glee, FOX_, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the _Glee _universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this...

* * *

><p>They hadn't spoken in two days. Darren's curls were slowly straightening because of the amount he kept tugging at them. Chris was fighting to stay awake during interviews.<p>

The plane ride had been awkward. Chris insisted on sitting next to Ashley, leaving Darren between Chord and Heather. No one had really commented on things until they had arrived in London and the room keys were handed out. Darren had forgotten he and Chris decided to room together months ago in the tour pre-planning. The unease was obvious to the more observant members of the cast and Chris tried to stay out of his room as much as possible, visiting the Tower of London with Ashley, Lea and Harry. He had been trying to find things for future skits and there was such an abundance of material.

But he feared about how strained it might end up being. Darren was a great actor but they couldn't even look at each other. At least, he couldn't look at Darren. He knew Darren kept trying to catch his eye but he just couldn't do it.

For his part, Darren stayed in his room a lot of the time, strumming out tunes and practicing for the single shows he had after Glee was finished. He desperately wanted to talk to Chris and try and sort this whole mess out but Chris studiously avoided him. He was practically attached to Ashley at the moment and Dianna had poked her head in earlier to check everything was okay. He'd given her a wan smile and tried assuring her it was fine. But he knew she could see straight through him. The slowly darkening circles beneath his eyes tended to be a giveaway of his difficulty sleeping.

Chris entered the room quietly, bidding goodbye to Ashley and saying he'd see her at dinner. Darren glanced his way but Chris was staring at the floor, putting his bags away and clearly avoiding any contact with the dark-headed boy.

"Chris…" Darren sighed when he felt he'd had enough.

"No!" Chris shouted, whirling around. "No! You do _not _get to talk to me right now! I have to prepare for a Skype interview with Tom O'Neil and I am not going to get involved in this. You're getting out of this room. I don't care where you go or who you go with, just get out because I have to get this interview done."

Darren rubbed a hand across his face, trying to push a curl from his eyes. "Chris, _please_…"

"I told you before, get out," Chris said, burrowing through his bags for something. Darren put down his guitar and pencil and grabbed a jacket. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and went to Kevin, Chord and Mike's room.

When he heard the door click shut, Chris threw himself on the top of his bed and let loose a soft shriek into the pillow. He knew he couldn't avoid Darren forever, the atmosphere in their room was becoming oppressive, but he didn't know what to say or do. He didn't know how to act. He was so confused and everything was a mess. He knew Darren wasn't sleeping and neither was he. But he could worry about that later. He had an interview to get ready for.

He found a blue hoodie to put on and found his toiletries bag which contained a small bottle of concealer. He knew he looked terrible but the webcam on his laptop would hide most of that. He hoped. Five minutes before the appointed time, he set up his computer and connected to Tom and hoped it wouldn't be a long interview. He was just so dreadfully tired…

The interview was fine. Mostly. He struggled to stay awake sometimes when Tom got onto a ramble and Chris often lost the question amongst the maze of words Tom threw at him. And the dreaded question about if Darren was a good kisser. Even as he started to answer it, he knew he was doing it all wrong. _Blaine _was a good kisser and Darren…he'd never actually _kissed _Darren…what happened in New York didn't mean anything and he…oh who was he kidding? He was a mess. He was so confused. He had glanced at Darren's bed, the discarded pencil on a notebook and the guitar and he knew he was answering all wrong so he tried to cover his slip but he knew it was too late and then he was babbling and _oh God _when the cast saw it they'd tease him like crazy.

He shut the computer down and put his head in his hands, sighing deeply. He couldn't deal with the movie and the books and the pilot and the shows and now _Darren_. Well, he had been dealing with that festering feeling for a while but he'd always assumed it was just the chemistry from seeing each other on-set all the time. He would never have imagined Darren had any feelings in return…

Wobbling slightly, he crawled into his bed and clutched at the spare pillow he always requested. Within minutes, he was asleep.

* * *

><p>Darren knocked lightly on the door but heard no answer. He peeked in and saw Chris passed out on his bed and smiled. He knew the boy had to be exhausted. Quietly, he shut the door and packed away his notebook, pencil and guitar, being incredibly careful not to wake the sleeping boy. He crept over to Chris, watching the small puffs of air escape his parted lips.<p>

"What am I going to do with you?" Darren whispered. It was such a confusing situation. He'd never been attracted to boys before. He wasn't even sure he was attracted to Chris. He was just…drawn to him. Like a magnet. The two days without Chris talking to him had been pure torture. He _needed _Chris like he needed air. He just hoped it wasn't creepy to be crouched here, watching Chris sleeping, his eyes moving behind their lids.

Cautiously, he moved back to his bed and soothed by the quiet breathing of Chris, fell asleep.

* * *

><p>He woke with a start, a small bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. He took in the unfamiliar surroundings and tried to slow his breathing, to remember where he was. But it was a struggle because nothing made sense, it was like the world was inverted and he shook for air, choking and shuddering.<p>

"Darren?" he heard dimly. It was like he was underwater. It sounded so far away, so distant. He knew the voice, he was sure of it. "Dare, listen to me. You're safe. Hey, come on now. Breathe, shh…" He felt arms on his shoulders, hands in his hair, could hear the soft thud of a heart beneath his ear. He listened to the lungs evenly breathing beneath him and slowly, agonisingly slowly, started to re-orientate himself with the world. He remembered he was in London, he was on tour with the Glee cast and he was sharing a room with Chris and…_Chris._

He flung himself from the lap he had been pulled into, sending Chris tumbling to the floor and missing the comfort as abruptly as he'd pulled away from it. He clutched at the curls, relishing the pain on his scalp. He saw Chris climb back to his feet warily, hands out passively. His legs wobbled beneath him, protesting at moving so quickly and he pressed a hand to the wall to keep himself upright, soothed by the cool concrete.

"Darren?" Chris questioned, staying completely still.

Nervously, almost fearfully, Darren raised his eyes to meet those which had avoided him for days. He could see the concern, the worry, the confusion, so many other things he couldn't name.

"I'll…I'll be okay. I just need a minute," he whispered, easing himself back to the bed.

Chris continued standing, but had started fidgeting. He didn't fidget much, but it was a sign he didn't know what to do, that he needed to do _something _but he didn't know what. Darren remembered the feeling from a few nights ago when Chris had been sleepwalking. Pushing aside his discomfort with the situation, Chris sat next to Darren and placed a hand over the one clutching Darren's knee. The warmth that tingled up his arm didn't go unnoticed, but he wished it didn't exist.

"I didn't know you had nightmares," Chris said quietly.

"I don't. Usually."

"Is that…is that why you avoid sleeping so much?"

Darren bit at his lip and shoved the panic he had been feeling earlier back into the box it resided in, which lurked somewhere between his heart and his stomach. "Yeah. Sometimes. Mostly I just…I don't want to sleep. I don't know what might happen."

He saw Chris nod from the corner of his vision. "Sometimes I have dreams about Hannah. That she seizures so badly and stops breathing and we can't wake her. I think it's why I hate touring so much, because I know I'm so far away from her."

Darren took a deep lungful of air, feeling it reach all the way into his lungs. He'd never really asked about Chris' kid sister. He didn't feel it was his place somehow. They were co-stars and whatever feelings Darren had for Chris…

"About the other night," Darren started, licking his lips. "Fuck. I um…I don't know what that was. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Chris mumbled, removing his hand from Darren's. "I know it didn't mean anything and we should just forget about it."

"Chris, no…I didn't…" he sighed and floundered for words. This was why he sang wrote lyrics and left the scriptwriting to someone else. "I don't know what it means. I…I like you. I don't know what to do about it and I just…it's screwing with my head." He looked at Chris pleadingly, trying to make him see how messed up this was making him.

Chris could see it. He could see the turmoil within Darren's hazel eyes. He tried to mask his own, tried not to see how much this was breaking him on the inside. Finally, he couldn't take it and tentatively laid his head on Darren's shoulder.

They sat like that for a while until Chris' neck started to get sore. He tried rubbing out the kinks until Darren's warm, slightly calloused fingers took over and he closed his eyes and relaxed. The silence between them was no longer awkward or uncomfortable, it just existed. It was calming and almost back to where it was before Darren had…kissed Chris.

When Chris rolled his neck around to stretch it out thoroughly, Darren withdrew his hand and Chris smiled appreciatively. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Anytime," Darren smiled back. "So are we, um, are we good?"

Chris nodded and softly pressed his lips to Darren's cheek. "Yeah. Let's go see about getting some dinner."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I don't know if Darren suffers problems with nightmares or not. I know he has problems sleeping but whether that's because he's a hypercharged, energetic boy or something else, I can't say. Nightmares are part of the reason I don't sleep so...yes. That's all. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Glee Live: Behind The Scenes  
><strong>Author:<strong> an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>CharactersPairings:** Darren/Chris  
><strong>Word count:<strong> (This part): 1,944; (Total) 9,731  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in the Klit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** Mild until the last part...  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _Glee, FOX_, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the _Glee _universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this...

* * *

><p>He had to admit, Chris had been trying pretty hard. They'd dressed up, Chris had banished him from their room one night to play on the hotel piano which he then discovered was because of the now infamous 'Klaine plates', he'd been called Kurt's 'man'. It was starting to get a little crazy. And now they were in Dublin and Darren was a little concerned, if he was being honest. And he knew what the fans wanted. He just wasn't sure if Chris would do it. And he wasn't sure if he had the balls to. It could go rather horribly wrong if Chris reacted in an un-Kurt-like manner.<p>

Although he was pretty sure Chris could remain in character.

He hoped.

He tried not to jump too far when Chris attempted to scare him with the leprechaun gag. At least Chris hadn't compared him to a leprechaun. If that had happened…well, Darren knew that people called him a hobbit. The wood nymph thing was just _cute _though… And Chris was becoming so at ease on the stage. It was where he belonged. Darren struggled to take his eyes off Chris every time they performed their skit. And he could see that Chris was clearly enjoying _Single Ladies _every night, which was no where near as nerve-wracking for Chris as it had been when he'd first performed in season one.

Speaking of that dance, Darren had had to stop watching it. Each night the cast would gather around the TV backstage that was set up so they could keep track of what was happening on-stage, but that dance…what Chris did was becoming _obscene _and it did strange things to Darren and he knew one of these days he was going to embarrass himself in front of his cast mates and he wasn't quite sure how he could explain _that_.

But the tension was building. He didn't know what Chris had planned anymore. Not that he ever really did. But it was the last two shows and he was damned if he was going to crack. And he tried not to read too much into the 'Likes Irish Boys' t-shirt that he unveiled in the matinee show. It wasn't because Darren was part-Irish. No no no, it was because they were in Ireland. Of course. It was such a gesture to appeal to their audience, not a declaration of his love for Darren. Not at all.

They were hanging out in the hotel room, waiting for the time to head off to the O2 again, Chris frantically scribbling and writing on a piece of paper and Darren trying to work on a new song. It was mostly quiet as Darren picked at his guitar strings softly and Chris gave the odd little huff or snort which left Darren wondering what he was working on. Usually he typed out things for his book on his laptop and skipped the handwriting stage completely.

Frustrated, Darren decided to go and talk to Naya about an idea he had. Chris was carefully avoiding looking at him and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He walked down the corridor and knocked on Heather and Naya's door.

"Well, if it's not our favourite curly-haired midget," Naya grinned, opening the door.

"I'm your _only _curly-haired midget," Darren retorted and Naya laughed, ushering him in.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, sitting down on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Well, I've had an idea about the skit for tonight…" Darren started.

* * *

><p>He saw Chris smiling at him as he entered. He was trying to keep a straight face with Heather but he could knew Naya was coming soon and he had to bite the inside of his cheek when he saw Chris' wide eyes at the girls kissing. He wondered if Chris was aware of what Darren had told Naya, and how it had gotten around the rest of the cast. He hoped that no one had spilled it to Chris yet…<p>

Chris skipped over to him and they bounced like usual and Darren thought about his poor feet and legs and how they would be glad to stop doing this ridiculous bouncing because Chris had _so _much more energy than he did. It probably helped that they'd both been sleeping better since their talk last week.

And now he was…reciting a _poem_? Oh, he recognised that battered, folded piece of paper. That was what Chris had been scribbling on. Oh dear. This might be it.

"Blaine Warbler Anderson, I have never loved another," Chris began, and Darren fought to remember this was to _Blaine_, and not to _him_ as Darren. "Except for last year when I was in love with my stepbrother."

Chris paused as the fans screamed and Darren rubbed a hand across his mouth to smother the smile that threatened to break out. Chris was such a friggin _dork_.

"I admire you almost as much as I admire the late Alexander McQueen," Chris said, his voice wobbling and Darren wondered if Chris was nearly crying. But no, he wouldn't. Not on-stage. It was just his acting. And Darren was touched. "You squint when you sing."

Git. Of course he did. He wasn't as bad as Lea but his mother was from the Philippines and so his eyes kind of crinkled up when he sang because he sang with a smile on his face and when he smiled his eyes scrunched. Git.

"How I miss our impromptu performances in the Dalton Academy halls, the rooms, the bleachers," Chris paused, "where the hell were all the teachers?" It was true. McKinley showed teachers, but Dalton didn't. It was always Warbler meetings. And Telly banging a gavel with far too much enthusiasm.

"We've seen everything eye to eye, all the pain, all the hurt. At least we did, until my last growth spurt," Chris paused again, looking out at the audience who were going mental. Darren bobbed down a little, but he hardly needed to. He still struggled to understand how Chris was _still_ growing and had grown at least four inches since Glee had started filming. It wasn't fair! Maybe he'd get a last minute growth spurt too…or Chris would just end up Cory's height and then that would make for the funniest relationship in season three. Lea and Cory were one thing, but Chris and Darren…

"We've shared so many intimate moments, memories that shine and glitter," Chris began, and Darren wondered if he was referring to events that occurred in hotel rooms or that occurred as Kurt and Blaine. He'd have to ask Chris later. "Just the two of us, Facebook, Myspace, Tumblr and Twitter," Chris gushed, taking a breath. Darren held back his snort, but it was so true. The fanbases on those sites were _insane_ and suddenly people knew who he was and-

"Since we've met, it's been absolute heaven. For your Emmy consideration, two thousand and eleven," Chris did a little dance and Darren would be disappointed if Chris didn't get an Emmy nomination and another Golden Globe in the next twelve months. He was incredible, truly. And Darren was so blessed to be working with him.

"But through all the glory, the scary and the hype, I swear to God I'm going to punch the next person that calls me a stereotype," Chris said, and Darren made a punching motion with his fist. He knew it bothered Chris how many people felt Kurt was the normal stereotype of a gay man and even more so, that they felt Chris was exactly the same. But Chris wasn't. He wasn't that fashion conscious and his voice was generally lower than when he spoke as Kurt and he was a lot less flamboyant. And yet Darren loved both Kurt and Chris.

"I'm so thankful to have found a partner as talented as me, and forever we shall be unless the writers change things in season three," Chris finished, folding up the paper and tossing it to some lucky fan behind him. Darren clutched his wireless mic in both hands, knowing that he would probably be kissing Chris soon. His heart fluttered with excitement

And then Chris was down on his one knee and things were more like normal, with the fans screaming and thinking he was proposing marriage when really, it was a lot more tame than that. He kicked his legs and then Darren knew, he _knew _this was the time. He told Chris, _Kurt_, to get up and come closer and then Chris was hopping over to him and Darren was trying to remember the first things Chris had said and all he could come out with was "Kurt, you had me at Emmy – " and he grabbed Chris' face between his hands and pressed his lips to Chris', savouring the taste and feel of _Chris_, not Kurt. He wasn't _Blaine_ right now, he was Darren and he didn't know what that meant for him or Chris but he needed to kiss him. He felt Chris' arms fly up past his head and pull away, and Darren could see how stunned he was. Darren realised he'd pulled out the other boy's ear pieces and watched as Chris put them back in and tried not to smirk…he really did. Had he cracked Chris Colfer on-stage? It was partially planned but Darren didn't think Chris had quite expected that much…_force_ behind the kiss. Chris tottered around on-stage off-balance, before stumbling and falling behind him in a very unplanned stage fall. He decided he needed to throw it out to the audience about joining Glee Club even though he knew that's what everyone wanted and they were still going bananas about the kiss. _Take that, fandom_.

He waited until the screams had abated slightly, before starting back on their semi-scripted lines. "You know Kurt, I've always wanted to do something The Warblers never let me do –"

"Wear another blazer?" Chris gasped, his voice raspy and Darren knew, he _knew _he'd cracked him. And he had one leg flung over the other and Darren fought down the smirk because come on, he was a male, he knew how to hide unwanted bulges, and the pants Chris wore left very little to the imagination. At least Darren hoped his blazer was long enough to hide the semi he was sporting.

"Kurt," he said, crouching down, looking in Chris' eyes and trying to convey hundreds of things other than the lines they had been saying for over a month. "We've been through this. You _love _the blazer."

Chris nodded, when usually he shook his head and Darren stood again, getting back into his lines to introduce Cory for _Jessie's Girl_.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, no honey, no no no. It's scripted that Finn is next," Chris said, adding in a few extra words to indicate that Darren's departure from the script had totally knocked him off his senses. The stage went dark as the first notes of _Jessie's Girl _began and the two hurried off stage to get ready for _Loser Like Me_.

The other cast who were backstage and ready clapped them on the back as they went to their separate change rooms. And before either knew it, the show was finished and Chord was giving a lily to Darren and everyone was hugging and there were tears and cheers and screams and Darren kept looking for Chris who was tackling the cast into hugs and he knew he'd see him later anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Glee Live: Behind The Scenes  
><strong>Author:<strong> an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>CharactersPairings:** Darren/Chris  
><strong>Word count:<strong> (This part): 1,669; (Total) 9,731  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A fangirl's interpretation of what led to the Klaine Kliss in the Klit of Glee Live, 2011. RPF.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers: **This is the last part. Some boy-sexing...  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _Glee, FOX_, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the _Glee _universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this...

* * *

><p>The after-party was <em>wild<em>. Darren was definitely rather drunk and so was Chris but who cared because it was their last night in Ireland and then Chris had had to cancel their BBC1 radio interview because of problems with the movie but Darren was staying because he had his Garage performances and he was going to the Harry Potter premiere (he felt like squealing and kicking every time he even thought of it!) and someone had just said it was after two-thirty and then the wave of adrenaline he had been riding disappeared and he was left rather exhausted. It had been a long month, a long nine months since he had first appeared in Glee. He was only a guest star, they weren't sure the fans would like him and now this…it was beyond anything he could have _ever _imagined.

"Hey!" Chris shouted, throwing his arms around Darren and hugging him close. "I'm so proud of you! You're amazing! You're so wonderful and tonight's show was great!"

Darren hugged the taller boy back awkwardly. Chris was clearly drunk. Was this taking advantage…?

"But I'm tired," Chris said, covering his mouth as he yawned. "Can we go back to the hotel now?"

"Of course," Darren replied. The two separated and started around to say their good-byes. Dianna and Chord decided to leave early too, so the four caught cabs back to their hotel and rode up to their respective rooms, still buzzing from the final night of the tour. Darren and Chris bade goodnights to Dianna and Chord and entered their room.

The door had barely shut and been locked behind Chris before he tackled Chris from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist and nosing at Darren's curly hair.

"Chris, what are you –" Darren laughed, squirming out of Chris' hold to look at him. And the look…it left him less drunk and almost totally sober. "Chris?"

Chris looked him up and down, pressing his hands to Darren's waist and pulling him close. "That kiss…" Chris breathed into Darren's ear, the warm air making him shudder. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it…"

"Well you…uh…it was the last night…" Darren stammered, trying to stay focused as Chris softly blew warmth along Darren's jaw.

"It was, wasn't it?" Chris said rhetorically, licking just below Darren's ear and causing his breath to catch in his throat. "Tell me something. Was that Blaine kissing Kurt, or Darren kissing Chris?"

"Me…Darren…kissing you…" Darren struggled as Chris softly kissed where he had licked.

"What did it mean to you, Darren?" Chris continued, tightening his grip against Darren's hips.

"It…it was amazing…" Darren whispered as Chris hovered in front of his face, his lips mere inches from Darren's.

"To me, it meant you liked me," Chris whispered back. "Do you like me, Darren?"

Darren wasn't sure how Chris was so coherent but maybe he hadn't been as drunk as Darren thought. He _was _a Golden Globe winning actor after all. He could pull off drunk. He'd had to do a drunk episode in season one of Glee. And Darren…Darren was so turned on and they hadn't even kissed yet.

"Y-yes, I like you," he admitted. He couldn't lie anymore. He didn't know what he felt or thought about boys or girls. But he knew he liked Chris.

And finally, finally Chris' lips were against his, firm and insistent but also tender and sweet. He felt a hand tangle into his hair and he whined in the back of his throat as Chris slammed their hips together roughly. Darren clawed softly at Chris' back, feeling the muscles hiding beneath his casual t-shirt.

Chris pulled back suddenly. "Do you know what it did to me to see you in _Safety Dance _tonight with your shirt bunched up?"

Darren shook his head, still reeling from the kiss.

"It made me think about how much I wanted to kiss you, and touch you," Chris murmured.

"What about..." Darren paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "You wore my tie, my Warbler tie, in _Single Ladies_…I saw that…"

Chris smirked, pushing Darren gently backwards until he reached the edge of the bed. Darren's knees bent automatically and Chris crawled on top of him. "I thought you'd like that. I did that dance just for you tonight."

Darren whimpered and pulled Chris back to him, kissing desperately and hungrily. He could feel Chris pulling at his shirt and he shifted to allow it to come off, before tugging at Chris' tee. There were hands, hands everywhere, hands on him and hands on Chris and Chris' chest was so soft and smooth and perfect and hairless and so very_ boy_ while Darren had hair and was far more _man _and yet it worked and they relished the touching.

But it wasn't enough, and soon Chris was rubbing his hips against Darren, feeling their mutual erections brushing. Darren groaned against Chris' mouth and pressed a hand into the back pocket of Chris' jeans. He felt Chris shudder and pulled away for a moment.

"We…we can't…"

"I know."

"I'm not ready…"

"I know."

"So we're –"

"Darren, just shut up and enjoy it," Chris cut him off, pressing his lips back to Darren's and sliding his tongue in, continuing to grind their hips together. And whatever Darren's reservations might have been about this situation, his instincts took over eventually and started matching Chris', as they thrust and rubbed at each other in their pants.

He felt the coiling in his stomach, like the spring that was wound tighter and tighter and he felt Chris speeding up, jerking a bit rougher and as Darren clenched a hand into the nape of Chris' neck and squeezed his ass, Chris whimpered and slammed hard against Darren and then he was gone, the heat exploding from his stomach and he felt his pants get wet and he started trembling all over as Chris rocked once, twice, grunted and began to tremble as well. He collapsed against Darren, their chests touching and heart beats racing, each trying to catch their breath and occasionally quivering with residual pleasure.

"Well…um…" Chris began, raising himself up on his forearms to hover above Darren. He looked at Darren's hazel ones which were still clouded with desire and softly kissed him. "I think…I need to go change. This is rather uncomfortable."

Darren snorted. "You're not the only one needing to change."

Blushing, Chris hopped away and rummaged for a new pair of clothes while Darren continued lying there. He still wasn't sure what this all meant…

Chris prepared for bed and Darren finally moved to change his sticky pants and brush his teeth. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Chris sitting on his bed and quirked an eyebrow.

"I fly back to LAX tomorrow," Chris began, looking at his hands which were knotted together and twisting and turning. "And I…I guess I wanted, no, I _needed _to try and figure out what this is before I leave because I know you're staying and it's going to do my head in."

Darren sat on the bed next to him, wrapping an arm across the back of Chris' hips. He sighed softly. "I don't know Chris. I know that's not good enough but…I like you, okay? And I never expected this to happen…I mean, maybe in a dream when no one else is home with me but…let's just…can we not commit ourselves? Let's just be happy with it and when I get back to L.A., we'll try and sort it out."

Chris nodded, scratching his nose and trying not to cry. "I like you too. I just don't want to feel this is all some joke at my expense…"

"Oh Chris," Darren whispered, tilting Chris' face towards him and cupping his cheek. "This isn't a joke. I feel like Blaine and saying that you move me, you matter and you're important to me and I…I'm just scared because I've never felt this way about a boy before."

Chris smiled weakly. "I always felt those lines of Blaine's were so very cliché and yet totally something I wanted to secretly hear."

Darren chuckled and softly kissed Chris before pressing their foreheads together. "It'll work itself out. I'm still here for you and I still want to be your friend, your best friend, okay? Just…give me some time to get my thoughts about my feelings together?"

Chris nodded, looking Darren in the eyes and seeing possibilities he had never really entertained prior to the Glee tour. They needed time apart. He knew that. He knew proximity bred attraction. He had tried to avoid it with his other cast mates but Darren…tugged at his heart in a different sort of way. He pressed his lips to Darren, trying to convey that he was okay with it, that he understood, that he would give Darren all the time in the world. After all, Darren's promotion to a series regular meant he would probably be seeing a _lot _of Darren in the coming year. With a final chaste kiss, he extricated himself from Darren's arms and fell into his own bed, falling asleep with a dopey, happy smile on his face.

It took Darren a while longer to fall asleep, and he knew he had a lot of thinking to do in the coming days. He knew Chord was sticking around and he was seeing Joe at the premiere but he wasn't sure how comfortable he felt discussing things like this with them. One wrong move, one word to the wrong person, and it would get to the press and everything would be nuts.

But the exhaustion and alcohol eventually caught up to him, and he too fell asleep with a slight smile to his face.


End file.
